Change in patients’ body weight after 12 months of treatment with glimepiride or glibenclamide in Type 2 diabetes: a multicentre retrolective cohort study

Our study compared the effects of glimepiride or glibenclamide treatment on body weight over 12 months of treatment in patients with Type 2 diabetes in routine outpatient practice.

This new retrospective study design used data from physicians in a restricted manner (retrolective). Data from case report forms from 520 patients from 91 randomly selected centres were assessed and covariance analysis performed.

The influence of practice and patient characteristics on treatment assignment was low, reflecting the design of randomised controlled trials. Mean weight loss and reduction in body mass index from baseline to study endpoint were greater with glimepiride than with glibenclamide (−2.04±3.99 kg vs −0.58±3.65 kg, p<0.001; −0.71±1.38 kg/m² vs −0.20±1.28 kg/m², p<0.001). Duration of treatment at baseline influenced treatment outcome, but propensity score, sex, age and fasting blood glucose at baseline did not. Both glimepiride and glibenclamide led to decreases in fasting blood glucose (−2.43±0.24 mmol/l vs −3.03±0.24 mmol/l; p<0.001 vs baseline) and HbA_1c (−1.23±0.09% vs −1.26±0.09%; p<0.001 vs baseline). Both treatments were associated with a decrease in serum total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol. Triglycerides were lower in the glibenclamide group and high density lipoprotein cholesterol was higher in the glimepiride group only.

Initial treatment of Type 2 diabetes with glimepiride was associated with a significantly greater decrease in body weight and body mass index than treatment with glibenclamide, while providing equivalent glycaemic control.